


Unpacking

by ThatGoblin



Series: The Pack [2]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Gen, M/M, Wren is feral and loving life, her boys know when to let her loose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23620990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatGoblin/pseuds/ThatGoblin
Summary: Wren gets her stuff from her old home while still adjusting to her new one with her Alphas.
Relationships: Link Neal/Original Female Character(s), Link/OFC, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Original Female Character(s), Rhett/OFC
Series: The Pack [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699129
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	Unpacking

It had been nearly two weeks since I’d come to live with Rhett and Link. In that two weeks we built a new routine around each other that had us dancing around in sync as if we’d been living together for years. For them it might have been years, but throwing a new person into the mix would take time to get the rhythm going again with added steps. 

It was the Sunday after the end of the second week that someone in a U-Haul drove up to the house. They were sent by my parents to move my things out completely. While my relationship with Rhett and Link was better than at the start of all of this, my relationship with my parents was straind at best. I still had not heard from them, via call or text or email or even snail mail, and the two men who moved my stuff across the state were old schoolmates of mine. 

Unfortunately. 

“Well if it ain’t Ms. Wren,” Colby, the blockier of the two, crowed as he saw me when I came out of the house. “When your parents said you went off and found yourself a pair of Alphas, I thought they had made it up just to save face.”

“I mean, half the town did anyways,” Logan, the other man that sported a crew cut, said with a chuckle. “At least now we know it’s mostly true.”

“Just shut up and unload the stuff,” I said with a sigh. There couldn’t be that much, I didn’t have a whole lot to begin with. Rhett and Link were out with the cattle, leaving me alone to scrub the house. I had gotten up early and began to deep clean despite them telling me I didn’t need to. The house was kept in good shape, but there were cobwebs and the floors needed mopping, not to mention the windows. I wasn’t usually such a neat freak, but something came over me and the need to clean the place was too strong to control. 

“So rude still,” Logan said with a snort. “Thought your new Alphas would have taught you how to speak to others.”

“I know how to speak to people who respect me,” I hissed as Colby unlocked the back of the truck. “Just take the boxes to the living room and then you can go.”

“Oh, come on,” Colby cooed. “We’re just playing. It’s been a while since we last saw you, figured you’d have grown more into your sex rather than away from it.”

“Yeah,” Logan said as he grabbed a box from the back. “Last time we saw you, you were the only Omega to graduate high school and get any sort of college. But that didn’t last from what I heard.”

“Didn’t you get kicked out of the community college for assaulting a teacher?” Colby asked, moving past me and into the house. “Yeah I think you did. Didn’t you slug him when he offered a ‘special’ tutoring session? Pretty sure they had to call security to pull you off him.”

“Such a mean Omega,” Logan added as he passed by as well. “I’m surprised anyone wanted you. Your parents probably had to pay someone to take you.”

“You are all the way across the state, so I bet they didn’t tell your Alphas about how nasty an Omega you are,” Colby said, coming out to leer at me. 

“Just shut up and do your job. My parents didn’t pay you two needle dicks to jibber jabber like a couple of old bitties,” I snarled. 

“We’re not in school anymore, Wren,” Colby snapped, getting in my space. “You don’t get to get away with acting like an Alpha when you’re not one.”

“Colby, come on,” Logan said, patting his friend on the shoulder as I glared back at him, refusing to be cowed by him. He wasn’t my Alpha and he never would be. I wasn’t going to submit to him ever. 

“You know, you ought to have someone teach you how to address your superiors,” Colby growled. “Omegas shouldn’t talk back to those above them.”

“I agree. You’re not above me though,” I snarled. “You’re just a shitty Alpha who doesn’t know how to get attention by doing anything other than being an asshole to everyone around you.”

“Colby, come on dude,” Logan said, pulling the other Alpha away and to the truck. “Let’s just get this shit unloaded.”

“Fine,” Colby growled as I stayed on the porch, glaring at them. I was the only Omega at a rural school system and if I hadn’t been as rough as I had been with everyone then I would have gotten hurt or worse. They finished moving the boxes as I saw Rhett and Link getting closer on horseback. I felt better knowing they were nearby with the other two still there. 

“You know, you’re lucky you got out of town,” Logan said as Colby and he stopped in front of me. “You could have gotten sold to us instead,” he sneered.

“Fuck off,” I snapped, flipping them off. “I didn’t get sold to anyone.” 

“That’s not what everyone in town is saying,” Colby said, grabbing my wrist. “We heard you couldn’t find a mate so your parents sold you to a couple of old Alphas that couldn’t find a mate for themselves. That they liked kinky things with Omega virgins.” Logan laughed as Colby grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, snickering in my ear as I struggled against him. He was all muscle from being on the football team back home to going straight into work at the mill tossing bags of feed. 

“Get off,” I growled, pushing back against him. “You’re gross and never going to find anyone to like you, you fuckin’ has been!” 

“Colby!” Logan hissed, smacking his friend, but it was too late. 

“Hey!” Rhett snarled as he and Link came running to the porch. “Let her go!” Rhett didn’t even pause as he threw a punch, nailing Colby in the face. Colby was knocked off balance, letting me go. While they all probably expected me to run and be comforted by my Alphas, I was trying to jump back on Colby. Link had to catch me and pull me away as Rhett dealt with them. 

“Link, let me go!” I cried.

“No way! You’re gonna hurt somebody!” He said, holding me tight around the middle. 

“I know you two were paid by Wren’s parents to deliver her stuff, but you either get off our property now or you’re gonna wish I’d shot ya,” Rhett threatened, glaring at both the younger Alpha’s. Colby was holding a bloody nose as Logan looked on wide eyed. “Now, get!”

“Yes, sir!” Logan yelped as he grabbed Colby and all but ran to the truck. 

“Fuck off!” I yelled, flipping them the bird again as Logan backed the truck up then drove off down the long dirt road. 

“Darlin’ calm down,” Link said, finally letting me go. “You’re like a damn feral cat tryin’ to fight everything.”

“You okay?” Rhett asked, walking over to us where we stood in the yard.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said with a huff as I was let go. “Just pissed cause they started shit.”

“You know them?” Link asked as he moved over to look at Rhett’s fist. 

“I went to school with them. They’re mad cause I never submitted to them or anyone, so they tried to start something when they thought no one was around,” I said, moving over to Rhett. “You hurt?” I asked, taking his hand to look at it.

“It’ll take more than just a small swing to hurt me, Sweetheart,” Rhett said with a chuckle. “So long as you’re fine.” He reached out, running a hand over my hair to smooth it down while also offering comfort, but I ducked away. I wasn’t ready for that much affection yet. The most we did was pat each other on the back and grooming. I cuddled with them at night when we slept, but that was it. 

“I’m good. I’m gonna go unpack my stuff in my room,” I said. I didn’t want a discussion over what happened or me ducking away. Not giving them the time to call after me, I instead jogged back up the stairs of the porch and into the house to begin moving my boxes. There were almost ten boxes, but they were all mostly full of books and art supplies. I had a desk in my room where I could set up a drawing corner, but I’d have to either see about building shelves or buying them. The down side, well one of many, of being an Omega was that I didn’t really earn any money. It had all been through my dad’s name or in my new case through Rhett and Link’s name. 

I’d have to ask them for the money to do it, but I wouldn’t. There would be a way to figure it out and it would just take time. So the books would just have to stay in the boxes stacked against the wall. Some of the boxes were clothes that I actually needed, like my coats and thicker pants and shirts. The rest of the boxes were just stuff that I didn’t even realize I had, like little knick knacks and trinkets I had made or collected over the years. Rhett and Link did help carry the boxes up the stairs, but I wanted to unpack them alone. It was my stuff and with having my own room, even if I didn’t sleep in it, I wanted to put things up my way. 

What I hadn’t planned on was getting choked up from the items I found that were packed in one particular box. It had to have been a mistake, an accidental box put onto the truck. The last box I looked into held things I had made for my parents in school. Small clay bowls, drawings in frames, certificates of achievement. Why did they send these? Why not keep them and hang them up like they had been when I lived there?

But it was a small paper cow that broke me. While Rhett and Link were outside with the horses and working in the garden, I was in my room, crying over a paper cow I had made for my dad on Father’s day. I had wanted to be a rancher just like him, to take over the ranch for him, but. . . I wasn’t what he wanted. I wasn’t what either of my parents wanted. 

I threw the cow onto the ground, stomping on it as tears fell down my face, cursing my parents. When I saw the cow had torn, I stopped in a panic. 

“No, no, no,” I whimpered, picking it up. It fit in my palm, but after the stomping it was crumbled and dirty with the head hanging on by a sliver of paper. “Fuck, why do I always ruin things?”

“You don’t.” I looked up from hovering over the paper animal in my hand to see Link standing there with a furrowed brow. “You don’t always ruin things.” Coming into the room, he looked at the paper cow before taking it gently from my hand. At my desk, he found tape to carefully wrap it up and fix it. “Here,” he said, smiling as he handed it back. 

“If I don’t always ruin things, why did they leave me?” I asked softly, looking down at the cow back in my hand. Sitting on the bed, I kept my bleary vision on the paper in my hand. If I looked up at Link I’d start sobbing, I just knew it. “They didn’t want me anymore because there’s something wrong with me.”

“There’s not a thing wrong with you, Darlin’,” Link said, sitting right next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “They just don’t know how to treat someone like you.” 

“Someone like me? Who am I like!? Some freak of nature that doesn’t know how to act like the right sex!?” I cried as I stood up, shirking away from the touch before putting the cow on a safe desk away from my angry boots. “Someone who doesn’t know how to be a good mate?! Or-or someone who doesn’t know how to be a person!?”

“Hey,” Link said softly, standing with me. “Shhh,” he hushed me, putting a hand on my shoulder and one on my face to force me to look at him. “I mean, they didn’t know how to treat someone who always had to be hard. You weren’t treated right and they didn’t realize it till it was too late. That’s their fault, not yours.” 

“No one wants me though,” I said, breaking down into the sobs I had been trying to avoid. “They had to pay for you to take me!” 

“They didn’t pay us,” Link said, stroking my hair as he pulled me close. “They didn’t pay us a cent to take you. I promise. We wanted you because of who you are, not what you are.” I clung to Link, gripping his shirt tight as I buried my face into his chest with heaving sobs. He didn’t leave or try to push me away, only held me and stroked my hair while whispering reassurances to me like I was Charlie after a long ride. While I probably would have been upset that he was using his horse voice on me any other time, I appreciated it then. I didn’t get that from my parents, the comforting touches as I cried over mean kids from school or a skinned knee from climbing trees. 

The affection and love that I should have gotten from them was given to me by Link and Rhett. I just hadn’t known how to deal with it as it was so foreign to me. By the time that I had calmed down enough to hiccups with a red face, Rhett had come in from the garden and it was lunch time. Link had me lay down with a cool, wet cloth over my eyes as he and Rhett went about getting food for themselves as I rested before they went back out for chores. I imagined Link explained what had happened because after I calmed down and felt more at ease, I was back to deep cleaning and rearranging, Rhett came back in to give me a smile and tell me I was doing a good job and he was proud of me. 

I nearly started crying again at that, earning a panicked look from Rhett. He quickly apologized and left, leaving me with my need to clean still there but less weepy. Finally finished with the house deep cleaning, supper was finished as well. Link had made Pizza and baked it, making sure to clean up as best he could as I had finished the kitchen already. I had showered first that night, making sure the two men gave me their dirty clothes so I could wash them and they didn’t track dirt anywhere. 

When it was time to settle down for the night, in our usual spots on the couch in front of the TV, the Alphas took their usual spots while I surprised them. Instead of going to the floor next to Rhett’s feet, I curled up against Link on the couch, sitting between the two. Both looked at me wide eyed as I pressed to his side, even raising his arm myself to wrap around me. They didn’t say anything though, knowing I’d most likely growl and pull away. 

Maybe Link was right. I was a feral cat. 

“Can we go to town tomorrow?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the TV. “I wanna get some shelves for my books or to get stuff to make shelves.” Also something new. I didn’t ask for anything. I didn’t take anything either. Unless I needed it, I didn’t bring it up. 

“I’m sure we can arrange that, Sweetheart,” Rhett said as he rubbed my legs, his hand having found it’s way there. “What time do you wanna go?”

“After morning chores,” I said, looking at the two Alphas. “I can do some extra work to pay for them, if you want me to.”

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Rhett said with a chuckle. “You want shelves, we’ll get you all the shelves you want.” He reached out again, like earlier in the day, to stroke my hair. This time I didn’t pull away. I leaned into it even, practically purring. The rest of the night was spent like that. Curled up against one another till it was time for bed, only moving to continue holding one another under the covers. 

The next morning, I was thrumming with excitement. While Rhett and Link went about their normal speeds of getting up and having their coffee, I was already dressed and making breakfast. They didn’t hide the smiles on their faces as they watched me buzz around like a hummingbird. It was the first time I’d been excited for something since I’d arrived at the ranch. For shelves no less. 

When morning chores were done and everyone had washed up, I was already in the big pick up truck waiting. “Come on, boys! We’re burning daylight!” I called, giving a few honks. 

“It’s 9 AM! We’ve got plenty of time to go by the store,” Rhett called back from the porch as Link laughed. 

“You don’t know that! There could be a major shortage of shelves!” I said as they walked over. Rhett shooed me to the middle as he got in the driver’s seat and Link got in the passenger side. It would also be my first trip to town. All I knew of it was that it was small like my hometown and was probably almost the same, just in a different configuration. The drive there wasn’t short, almost half an hour, but it didn’t kill my mood. In fact, I was still bouncing in my seat as Rhett parked in front of a small furniture store. 

“Now, just keep calm and hold one of our hands at all times,” Rhett said as he helped me from the truck.

“Wait what?” I asked. The calm part I could get, but holding a hand? 

“They’re older folks and it’s just easier to let them die with their ways instead of fighting with them,” Link said, his fingers weaving with mine as he stepped next to me. “We’ll get your shelves, don’t worry about that.”

“Okay. . . I guess,” I said. Holding Link’s hand, we walked into the store to begin looking around. It was full of nice things, maybe a bit dated, but nice. I didn’t want anything too heavy or too expensive, just something to hold books. 

“Howdy folks! What can I do ya for?” An older man asked, seemingly coming from nowhere. It spooked me enough I ran into Link when the balding man spoke up. 

“Howdy,” Rhett said with a wave. “We’re just looking for a couple of shelves.”

“Three sets,” I spoke up, but didn’t get too excited. I was actually trying to listen to Rhett. 

“What the little lady said, three set of shelves,” Rhett said.

“I’m a little lady,” I said under my breath with a smirk, getting a snort from Link.

“Well come on over here, we’ve got all kinds of shelves to pick from. You folks have anything in mind?” The salesman asked. “I’m Bill, by the way, pleasure to meet you all.”

“Pleasure,” Rhett said as we followed. “I’m Rhett, that’s Wren and Link. What kind of shelves are we looking for, Wren?”

“We are looking for shelves to hold books and knick knacks,” I said. “Nothing fancy, just the capacity to hold things and not break.”

“Alright, it sounds like the lady knows what she wants,” Bill said with a laugh.

“That she does,” Rhett said. 

“Here we have some nice ones that come in a dark finish. They’re solid oak, not particle board so they’ll be good down the generations,” Bill said as he showed us the first set. Then there was another set almost exactly like that one, just in a different shade. In fact all the shelves he showed us were basically the same thing, just in a different shade. Looking at the prices I couldn’t help making the faces I did. I looked from the price tag to Rhett and Link with wide eyes. $500 a piece. 

“Uh, do you have anything cheaper?” I asked, looking over to Bill. He looked from me to Rhett and Link. 

“You gentlemen wanna look at something cheaper or stick with something that’s a sure thing?” Bill asked. Did he just ignore me?! Link squeezed my hand to remind me to stay calm. We were in town and fighting with a sales person was not something to end well. I grasped his hand with both of mine to keep myself in control. 

“Let’s look at something cheaper. She wasn’t wanting to drop $1,500 on some shelves today and I don’t blame her,” Rhett said. 

“Oh I’m sure we can find something that y’all would like,” Bill said, taking us to a different section of the store. There we found cheaper shelves to put up, but they weren’t exactly what I wanted. They were still expensive for what they were and I just couldn’t justify spending so much money on them when I wasn’t even the one paying for them.

“I don’t really see anything I like,” I said, trying to be as polite as possible as I looked over each shelf. “Maybe we can try a different place.”

“Oh, now, little missy,” Bill said with a chuckle. “I’m sure that me and your mates could come to a decision for ya on price. I mean, you don’t want some simple shelving units that’ll fall apart in a few months if you decide to redecorate the house.”

“It’s not for the house, it’s for my room,” I said, locking a glare on Bill. “They’re not my mates either.”

“Wren, let’s just go,” Link said, already smelling the distinct scent of me getting riled up. 

“You oughta keep your Omega in line there,” Bill said to Rhett, shaking his head as Link tried to pull me away. “She needs to be taught to be more respectful.”

“What’d you say!?” I cried, letting go of Link to turn on my heel to face a suddenly surprised Bill. “You wanna talk about respectful, actually listen to your customers no matter who they are, bald boy, Bill!” I snarled. Link already wrapped an arm around my middle to drag me as away as Rhett followed.

“Why don’t you boys come back without her and I’m sure we could work something out without a hormonal Omega actin’ up,” Bill said. That made them pause. I was spitting mad and the men looked at each other then to me. 

“Better watch out, Bill,” Link said, letting me go. “She’s feral.” That was all the permission I needed before I marched right up to Bill who went white as a sheet. 

“You wanna act like I don’t exist or have feelings, fine! But you don’t get to publicly shame me because of who I am, got it Bill!” I snapped, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You’re just a snub nose, Beta that’s got a bigger waist band from sneaking pies out from old ladies’ windows and you have the balls to get huffy at me!? Maybe there’d be more people in here if you didn’t over price your 1950’s shabby decor and then act like the customer is an idiot for questioning you! Next time you see me, you better act like a decent person instead of some pot bellied, capitalist pig that doesn’t care about anybody but himself, ya hear!?” Bill was silent as I had cornered him, backed him up to a literal corner with my ‘Omega hormones,’ 

“Yes ma’am,” he said, nodding and shaking. 

“Good, now we’ll take the dark stained oak shelves for $200 a piece. That’s more than what they’re worth,” I said, crossing my arms in front of me as Link and Rhett moved to stand behind me. 

“Of course, right away ma’am,” Bill nodded. I stepped to the side to let him pass, not paying mind to anyone else in the store who was watching. Not that there were many to begin with. I marched with my men behind me to the register where Rhett handed over the money with a smirk on his face. In a matter of 20 minutes we were loaded up and headed home. While neither Rhett nor Link said a word, I felt pleased with myself. 

At home, we unloaded the shelves and hauled them to my room. Once set up, I let them help me unpack the last of my boxes. Books and sketch pads all fit perfectly how I wanted them to and even had some help with Rhett setting things on the tippy top as well. 

Finished, we stepped back to admire our work. I couldn’t stop grinning as I stood there next to the Alphas, all of us hot and sweaty from the moving of the large shelves, but satisfied. I did that. I didn’t compromise who I was or what I could do and I got what I wanted. The boys probably got what they wanted to, which I knew were not the shelves. My arms wound around their waists to pull them close for hugs; allowing me to scent them slightly to claim them as my own. They were my pack and I was theirs. 

Rhett was the first to scent me back, rubbing his cheek against my head followed by Link. I didn’t pull away either. It was the first time in a long time that I felt lighter. That instead of heaving my own baggage along with others’ doubts, stereotypes, and sexism alone, I had help. I had my pack. An honest to god pack of my own that no one could take from me.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, if you have suggestions on what you want to see between these three characters, leave a comment! I'm gonna be doing daily writing of one shots for them so hopefully I get them up in a timely manner! Love ya!


End file.
